[FIRM LETTERHEAD OR CAPTION BLOCK]
[DATE]
[Opposing Counsel Name]
[Law Firm]
[Address]
Via [Email/ECF/Overnight Mail]
Re: [Case Name], [Court], Case No. [Number] - Discovery Deficiency Meet-and-Confer
Counsel:
We write pursuant to Pa. R. Civ. P. 4019 to address deficiencies in your [responses/production] served on [DATE]. This letter documents our good faith effort to resolve this dispute before seeking court intervention.
Pennsylvania Discovery Rules - Key Citations
- Response deadlines: 30 days from service (Pa. R. Civ. P. 4006(a)(2), 4009.12(a))
- Interrogatory limit: Generally no limit, but subject to court discretion for burden (Pa. R. Civ. P. 4005)
- Request for Production: Pa. R. Civ. P. 4009.1 et seq.; 30 days to respond
- Motion to compel (Pa. R. Civ. P. 4019): Court may enter appropriate order including sanctions
- Sanctions (Pa. R. Civ. P. 4019(c)): Court may award reasonable expenses including attorney's fees; may strike pleadings or enter default
- Philadelphia/Allegheny County Local Rules: Additional requirements may apply in these counties
Specific Deficiencies and Requested Cures
| No. | Request/Topic | Deficiency | Requested Cure | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | [Request No. __/Interrogatory No. __] | [e.g., improper objections; failure to produce documents per Pa. R. Civ. P. 4009.12; inadequate interrogatory answers] | [e.g., provide complete verified response; produce responsive documents; provide privilege log] | [Date] |
| 2 |
Additional Issues
- Privilege log (Pa. R. Civ. P. 4009.12(a)(3)): [not provided/incomplete]; Pennsylvania requires a log with sufficient detail to evaluate each privilege claim—please provide by [DATE] with document date, author, recipients, privilege type, and general description.
- Verification: Answers to interrogatories shall be verified (Pa. R. Civ. P. 4006(a)(1)).
- ESI/formatting: [missing metadata/native format]; please re-produce in [reasonably usable form].
- Protective order/clawback: [status]; propose to file agreed protective order by [DATE].
Pennsylvania-Specific Sanctions Warning
Under Pa. R. Civ. P. 4019(c), the court may impose sanctions including:
- Award of reasonable expenses including attorney's fees
- Striking pleadings or entering judgment by default
- Preclusion of evidence
- Contempt of court
Pennsylvania courts have emphasized that discovery abuse will not be tolerated.
Proposed Path to Resolution
- Meet-and-confer availability: [3 date/time windows] (Eastern Time). We are prepared to meet telephonically or in person.
- We propose resolving without court intervention if you confirm supplemental responses/production by [DATE].
- If unresolved by [DATE], we will file a motion to compel under Pa. R. Civ. P. 4019 and seek fees and costs.
- We will reference this correspondence in our motion.
Preservation Reminder
Please confirm litigation holds remain in place for email, text messages, messaging platforms, shared drives, cloud storage, and any custodian-specific data sources relevant to the disputed requests.
We look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
______________________________
[Attorney Name]
[Law Firm]
Counsel for [Party]